Smoke detector

ABSTRACT

A smoke detector, and methods of operating a smoke detector, are described herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include a laser emitter configured to emit a laser beam that illuminates an object in an area, a light receiver configured to receive light reflected from the illuminated object, and a controller configured to determine, based on the light reflected from the illuminated object, an amount of space in the area that is blocked from a field of view of the smoke detector by the object, and provide an indication responsive to the determined amount of space being above a threshold amount of space.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a smoke detector, and methods ofoperating a smoke detector.

BACKGROUND

Smoke detectors can be implemented in indoor environments (e.g.,buildings) or outdoor environments to detect smoke. For instance, asmoke detector can be mounted at a point in a room of a building todetect smoke in the room. Smoke detection can minimize risk by alertingusers and/or components of a fire control system of a fire eventoccurring in the environment.

A Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) smoke detector is an example of asmoke detector. A LiDAR smoke detector can utilize optical systems, suchas laser beam emitters and light receivers, to detect smoke in anenvironment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an area that includes a smoke detector inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an area that includes a smoke detector inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a smoke detector in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an example method of operating a smoke detector in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A smoke detector, and methods of operating a smoke detector, aredescribed herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include alaser emitter configured to emit a laser beam that illuminates an objectin an area, a light receiver configured to receive light reflected fromthe illuminated object, and a controller configured to determine, basedon the light reflected from the illuminated object, an amount of spacein the area that is blocked from a field of view of the smoke detectorby the object, and provide an indication responsive to the determinedamount of space being above a threshold amount of space.

Smoke detectors may use laser beam emitters in conjunction with lightreceivers to detect smoke. For example, a smoke detector may use LightDetection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to detect smoke. For instance,when a laser beam is emitted in an indoor environment, it may encountera substance or material and light may be reflected and/or scattered tothe light receiver. If no substance or material is present in the pathof the laser, the light will instead reflect and/or scatter off a wallof the indoor environment and back to the light receiver. The smokedetector can determine the difference between a received light signalthat has been reflected and/or scattered off a wall or light reflectedoff another substance or material, because the intensity of the receivedlight signal will be considerably greater if it has been reflectedand/or scattered off a wall as opposed to reflecting and/or scatteringoff a substance such as smoke. Additionally, a light signal that haspassed through smoke will be slightly attenuated.

As such, by rotating a laser beam emitter and light receiver of a smokedetector and emitting pulses of light from the laser beam emitter, anindoor environment can be scanned to detect smoke. For example, thesmoke detector may be positioned in a corner of an area (e.g., a room)and rotated from zero to ninety degrees to scan the entire room forsmoke. By recording the alignment, position, and orientation of thesmoke detection system at the time that the smoke is detected, theapproximate location of the smoke in the room can also be determined.

In some instances, however, the indoor environment (e.g., room) mayinclude additional fixed features (e.g., objects), such as, forinstance, pillars, lighting features (e.g., fixtures), signs, and/orladders, among others, that may also reflect and/or scatter the lightfrom the emitted laser beam. Such objects may act to partially obstruct(e.g., block) the field of view of the smoke detector, and thus mayprevent the detector from being able to detect smoke in the space (e.g.,portion) of the room blocked by the object. Depending on the size of theobject blocking the detector, and/or the position of the object in theroom relative to the detector, the amount of space in the room in whichsmoke would be unable to be detected by the detector may exceed theamount allowed by the smoke detector operational requirements and/orfire codes of the local jurisdiction.

A smoke detector in accordance with the present disclosure, however, canidentify such obstructions, and determine whether such obstructionswould result in a violation of the applicable smoke detector operationalrequirements and/or fire codes. As such, during commissioning (e.g.,installation) of the smoke detector, the installer can quickly determinewhether the installation of the detector is successful, or whether thedetector needs to be moved to a different location in the room. Further,after the smoke detector has been successfully commissioned and is inoperation, the detector can continue to identify the presence of anynewly introduced obstructions, determine whether they would result in aviolation, and provide an indication (e.g., notification) of anyviolation to the building supervisor or other appropriate party.

Further, in order for a rotating smoke detector (e.g., a smoke detectorwith a rotating laser beam emitter and light receiver) to effectivelydetect smoke, the laser beam needs to be maintained on the smoke for asufficient amount of time (e.g., the dwell time) for the detector (e.g.,the light receiver of the detector) to make a valid measurement. Assuch, the scan of the room can not be too quick. However, the full scanof the entire room needs to be completed by the detector in as short ofa time as possible in order to ensure that smoke that is present in anyportion of the room can be detected in a timely manner (e.g., within 60seconds), as may be required by the smoke detector operationalrequirements and/or fire codes of the local jurisdiction.

A smoke detector in accordance with the present disclosure, however, canreduce (e.g., minimize) its total scan time, while still maintaining asufficient dwell time, by adjusting its rotation speed based on thedifferent portions of the room it is scanning. For example, theintensity of the light signal received by the light receiver from asmoke plume or wall of the room, and therefore the dwell time of thesmoke detector, is inversely proportional to the square of the distancebetween the light receiver and the smoke plume or wall. As such, thesmoke detector can determine which walls of the room are closer to thedetector and which walls of the room are further away from the detector,and adjust its rotation speed such that its rotation speed (e.g., scan)is quicker for portions of the room in which the wall is closer to thedetector and slower for portions of the room in which the wall isfurther away from the detector.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof. The drawings show by wayof illustration how one or more embodiments of the disclosure may bepracticed.

These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those ofordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of thisdisclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may beutilized and that process, electrical, and/or structural changes may bemade without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments hereincan be added, exchanged, combined, and/or eliminated so as to provide anumber of additional embodiments of the present disclosure. Theproportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in thefigures are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the presentdisclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the firstdigit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and theremaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing.Similar elements or components between different figures may beidentified by the use of similar digits. For example, 102 may referenceelement “02” in FIG. 1 , and a similar element may be referenced as 202in FIG. 2 .

As used herein, “a”, “an”, or “a number of” something can refer to oneor more such things, while “a plurality of” something can refer to morethan one such things. For example, “a number of components” can refer toone or more components, while “a plurality of components” can refer tomore than one component.

FIG. 1 is a top view of an area 100 that includes a smoke detector 102in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.Smoke detector 102 can be, for example, a Light Detection and Ranging(LiDAR) smoke detector, as will be further described herein. Area 100can be an area of an indoor environment. For instance, area 100 can be aroom of a facility (e.g., a building).

Smoke detector 102 can be part of (e.g., a component of) a fire controlsystem of the facility. As described herein, a fire control system maybe any system designed to detect and/or provide a notification of fireevents occurring in a facility. For example, a fire control system mayinclude smoke detection apparatuses and/or devices (e.g., detector 102)that can sense a fire occurring in the facility, alarms (e.g., speakers,strobes, etc.) that can provide a notification of the fire to theoccupants of the facility, fans and/or dampers that can perform smokecontrol operations (e.g., pressurizing, purging, exhausting, etc.)during the fire, and/or sprinklers that can provide water to extinguishthe fire, among other components. A fire control system may also includea control unit such as a physical fire control panel (e.g., box)installed in the facility that can be used by a user to directly controlthe operation of the components of the fire control system. In someembodiments, the fire control system can include a non-physical controlunit or a control unit located remotely from the facility.

As shown in FIG. 1 , area 100 includes a plurality of walls: a first(e.g., north) wall 104-1, a second (e.g., east) wall 104-2, a third(e.g., south) wall 104-3, and a fourth (e.g., west) wall 104-4. It isnoted that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to thelayout or the shape of area 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , smoke detector 102 (e.g., a laser emitter of smokedetector 102, as will be further described herein) can emit a beam(e.g., a laser beam) 106 across area 100. As used herein, the terms“light” or “beam” can include any type of light beam, such as a laser.These terms can also include pulses of light. For example, beam 106 canbe a pulsed laser beam (e.g., comprise a plurality of pulses).

Smoke detector 102 can rotate beam 106 (e.g., a rotation mechanism ofsmoke detector 102 can rotate the laser emitter of smoke detector 102,as will be further described herein), such that beam 106 periodicallyscans across area 100 and illuminates different portions of area 100(e.g., different portions of the walls of the room), as represented byarrow 112 illustrated in FIG. 1 . A “scan” of the beam 106 can refer toa rotation of the beam such that the beam begins at an initial angularposition and ends at a terminal angular position. As an example, a scancan include the beam moving from an angle substantially parallel to, orpast substantially parallel to, wall 104-4 (e.g., from an angle of 90degrees or greater than 90 degrees) to, or past, an angle substantiallyparallel to wall 104-3 (e.g., to or past an angle of 0 degrees), and asubsequent scan can include the beam moving from the angle substantiallyparallel to, or past substantially parallel to, wall 104-3 back to theangle substantially parallel to, or past substantially parallel to, wall104-4.

As shown in FIG. 1 , area 100 can include an object 108. Object 108 canbe a fixed object, such as, for instance, a pillar, lighting feature(e.g., fixture), sign, or ladder, among other examples. Beam 106 canilluminate object 108, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . However, object 108may partially obstruct (e.g., block) the field of view of smoke detector102. For instance, object 108 may prevent smoke detector 102 from beingable to monitor, and detect smoke in, space 110 of area 100 illustratedin FIG. 1 .

Smoke detector 102 (e.g., a light receiver of smoke detector 102, aswill be further described herein) can receive light reflected fromilluminated object 108 and light reflected from the illuminateddifferent portions (e.g., the illuminated portions of walls 104-1 and104-2) of area 100 as beam 106 scans across area 100. As used herein,the term “reflected” may be used to refer to light that is not onlyreflected but may be reflected and/or scattered. For example, the lightmay be reflected off a surface at an angle of incidence equaling theangle of reflection. Light that is incident on a surface or material canalso be scattered in a multitude of directions in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

Based on the light reflected from illuminated object 108, smoke detector102 (e.g., a controller of smoke detector 102, as will be furtherdescribed herein) can determine the amount (e.g., size) of space 110that is blocked from the field of view of smoke detector 102 by object108. For instance, smoke detector 102 can measure and/or analyze theintensity of the light reflected from illuminated object 108 todetermine the size of space 110. Smoke detector 102 can make thedetermination of the size of space 110 automatically (e.g., withoutinput from a user), or responsive to input from a user, such as theinstaller of smoke detector 102.

For example, smoke detector 102 (e.g., the controller of smoke detector102) can determine the shape (e.g., the outline shape) of area 100 basedon the light (e.g., the intensity of the light) reflected from theilluminated different portions of area 100, and the location (e.g., theradial coordinates) of object 108 in area 100 based on the light (e.g.,the intensity of the light) reflected from illuminated object 108. Smokedetector 102 can then determine (e.g., calculate) the size of space 110based on the determined shape of area 100 and the determined location ofobject 108 in area 100. Smoke detector 102 can determine the location ofobject 108 in area 100 based on the alignment of smoke detector 102(e.g., the alignment of the laser emitter of the detector) when emittingthe beam 106 (e.g., the laser pulse) that illuminates object 108, andthe amount of time for smoke detector 102 to receive the light reflectedfrom illuminated object 108 (e.g., the time of flight of the laser pulsethat illuminates object 108).

Smoke detector 102 (e.g., the controller of smoke detector 102) candetermine whether the amount (e.g., size) of space 110 that is blockedfrom the field of view of smoke detector 102 by object 108 is above athreshold amount of space (e.g., a threshold size). The threshold amountof space can be pre-defined, or set by a user (e.g., the installer) ofsmoke detector 102, and can be determined (e.g., defined or set) basedon the smoke detector operational requirements and/or fire codes of thelocal jurisdiction of area 100. For instance, the threshold amount ofspace can be the maximum amount of unmonitored space allowed in area 100by the smoke detector operational requirements and/or fire codes of thelocal jurisdiction.

Smoke detector 102 (e.g., the controller of smoke detector 102) canprovide an indication (e.g., trigger an alert and/or fault condition)responsive to determining the size of space 110 is above the thresholdamount of space. For example, smoke detector 102 can provide theindication to an additional device, such as, for instance, a mobiledevice or other computing device of the installer and/or a supervisor ofthe facility, via a text message or the internet or other networkassociated with the fire control system of area 100. In someembodiments, smoke detector 102 can also provide (e.g., to theadditional device) a different indication, such as, for instance, anauthorization and/or approval, responsive to determining the size ofspace 110 is not above the threshold amount of space.

Although not shown in FIG. 1 for simplicity and so as not to obscureembodiments of the present disclosure, in some instances area 100 mayinclude an additional object that may block the field of view of smokedetector 102. For instance, the additional object may be a new objectthat is introduced to area 100 after smoke detector 102 has beencommissioned and/or installed. In such an instance, beam 106 canilluminate the additional object, and smoke detector 102 can receive thelight reflected from the illuminated additional object, determine theamount of space in area 100 that is blocked from its field of view bythe additional object based on the reflected light, and provide anindication responsive to the determined amount of space being above thethreshold amount of space, in a manner analogous to that described forobject 108.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an area 200 that includes a smoke detector 202in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.Smoke detector 202 and area 200 can be, for example, analogous to smokedetector 102 and area 200, respectively, previously described inconnection with FIG. 1 . For example, smoke detector 202 can be part ofa fire control system of a facility that includes area 200, and area 200can include a plurality of walls 204-1, 204-2, 204-3, 204-4 analogous towalls 104-1, 104-2, 104-3, 104-4, respectively, described in connectionwith FIG. 1 .

Further, smoke detector 202 can emit a beam 206 across area 200, androtate beam 206 such that beam 206 periodically scans across area 200and illuminates different portions of area 200, as represented by arrow212, in a manner analogous to that previously described in connectionwith FIG. 1 . Smoke detector 202 can receive light reflected from theilluminated different portions (e.g., the illuminated portions of walls204-4, 204-1 and 204-2) of area 200 as beam 206 scans across area 200,in a manner analogous to that previously described in connection withFIG. 1 .

Based on the light reflected from the illuminated different portions ofarea 200, smoke detector 202 (e.g., the controller of smoke detector202) can adjust the speed at which beam 206 rotates (e.g., the speed atwhich the rotation mechanism of the detector rotates the laser emitterof the detector). For instance, smoke detector 202 can measure and/oranalyze the intensity of the light reflected from the illuminateddifferent portions of area 200 to determine the adjustment to the speedat which beam 206 rotates.

For example, smoke detector 202 (e.g., the controller of smoke detector202) can determine the distance of each of the different portions ofarea 200 (e.g., the illuminated portions of walls 204-4, 204-1 and204-2) from smoke detector 202 based on the light reflected from theilluminated different portions of area 200 (e.g., the greater theintensity of the light reflected from a portion of area 200, the shorterthe distance of that portion of area 200 from the detector), and adjustthe speed at which beam 206 rotates based on these determined distances.For instance, smoke detector 202 can adjust the speed at which beam 206rotates such that the amount of time for which beam 206 illuminates eachrespective different portion of area 200 is directly proportional to thedetermined distance of that respective portion from smoke detector 202.As such, the rotation speed of beam 206 can be quicker through thoseportions of area 200 that are closer to smoke detector 202 and slowerthrough those portions of area 200 that are further away from smokedetector 202.

In such a manner (e.g., by adjusting the rotational speed of beam 206),smoke detector 202 can adjust the amount of time for which beam 206illuminates (e.g., the dwell time for) each respective different portionof area 200. For example, smoke detector 202 can adjust the rotationalspeed of beam 206 through the different portions of area 200 such thatthe beam rotates through each respective portion of area 200 at a speedsufficient (e.g., slow enough) to detect smoke in that respectiveportion, but also sufficient to illuminate each of the differentportions of area 200 (e.g., fast enough to complete the scan of area200) within a particular amount of time. The particular amount of timecan be pre-defined, or set by a user (e.g., the installer) of smokedetector 202, and can be determined (e.g., defined or set) based on thesmoke detector operational requirements and/or fire codes of the localjurisdiction of area 200. For instance, the particular amount of timecan be the maximum amount of time allowed to complete the scan of area200 by the smoke detector operational requirements and/or fire codes ofthe local jurisdiction. As an example, the particular amount of time canbe 60 seconds.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a smoke detector 302 in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure. Smoke detector 302 canbe, for example, smoke detector 102 and/or 202 previously described inconnection with FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3 , smoke detector 302 can include a laser emitter 322.Laser emitter 322 can be any device, system, or apparatus configured toemit light, such as a laser beam. For example, laser emitter 322 canemit a laser beam that illuminates an object in an area and/or differentportions of the area, as previously described herein. The light emittedcan be pulses, such as pulses of lasers. In some embodiments, laseremitter 322 can be LiDAR transmitter. In some embodiments, laser emitter322 can be a laser diode.

As shown in FIG. 3 , smoke detector 302 can include a light receiver324. Light receiver 324 can be or include a sensor, detector, lens, orcombination thereof configured to receive light and/or to convert lightinto a form that is readable by an instrument. For example, lightreceiver 324 can receive light reflected from an illuminated object inan area and/or illuminated portions of the area, as previously describedherein. In some embodiments, light receiver 324 can be a LiDAR receiveror an electro-optical sensor. In some embodiments, light receiver 324can include a clock and/or processing resources. The light receiver 324can be configured to measure the time taken for a pulse of light totravel from laser emitter 322, reflect and/or scatter off an object,substance, or material, and travel back to the light receiver.

As shown in FIG. 3 , smoke detector 302 can include a rotation mechanism326 that can rotate laser emitter 322. For example, rotation mechanism326 can rotate laser emitter 322 such that the laser beam emitted bylaser emitter 322 periodically scans across an area to illuminatedifferent portions of the area, as previously described herein. Rotationmechanism 326 can be mechanical and/or electrical. It may be configuredto rotate the laser emitter 322 at a particular speed and/or over agiven range. For example, if smoke detector 302 is positioned in acorner of an area (e.g., room), rotation mechanism 326 may alternatelyrotate laser emitter 322 from 0 degrees to 90 degrees and from 90degrees to 0 degrees. As such, if the laser emitter 322 emits pulsesperiodically while being rotated by rotation mechanism 326, smokedetector 302 can scan the entire area for smoke. In some embodiments,rotation mechanism 326 can rotates the light receiver 324 and the laseremitter 322 together. For instance, rotation mechanism 326 can be arotary platform or table driven by a motor.

As shown in FIG. 3 , smoke detector 302 can include a controller 328having a processor 330 and a memory 332. Memory 332 can be any type ofstorage medium that can be accessed by processor 330 to perform variousexamples of the present disclosure. For example, memory 332 can be anon-transitory computer readable medium having computer readableinstructions (e.g., computer program instructions) stored thereon thatare executable by processor 330 to operate smoke detector 302 inaccordance with the present disclosure. That is, processor 330 canexecute the executable instructions stored in memory 332 to operatesmoke detector 302 in accordance with the present disclosure.

Memory 332 can be volatile or nonvolatile memory. Memory 332 can also beremovable (e.g., portable) memory, or non-removable (e.g., internal)memory. For example, the memory can be random access memory (RAM) (e.g.,dynamic random access memory (DRAM), resistive random access memory(RRAM), and/or phase change random access memory (PCRAM)), read-onlymemory (ROM) (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM) and/or compact-disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)), flash memory, alaser disk, a digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical diskstorage, and/or a magnetic medium such as magnetic cassettes, tapes, ordisks, among other types of memory. Further, memory 332 can be locatedinternal to smoke detector 302, or located internal to another computingresource (e.g., enabling computer readable instructions to be downloadedover the Internet or another wired or wireless connection).

FIG. 4 is an example method 440 of operating a smoke detector inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Thesmoke detector can be, for example, smoke detector 102, 202, and/or 302previously described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 ,respectively. The method can be performed and/or executed by, forexample, controller 328 previously described in connection with FIG. 3 .

At block 442, method 440 includes rotating a laser emitter of the smokedetector such that a laser beam emitted by the laser emitter illuminatesan object in an area and different portions of the area. The laseremitter can be, for instance, laser emitter 322 previously described inconnection with FIG. 3 , and the laser beam emitted by the laser emittercan be, for instance, laser beam 106 and/or 206 previously described inconnection with FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively. The laser emitter can berotated using, for instance, rotation mechanism 326 previously describedin connection with FIG. 3 . The area can be, for instance, area 100and/or 200 previously described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 ,respectively, the object can be, for instance, object 108 previouslydescribed in connection with FIG. 1 , and the different portions of thearea can comprise, for instance, different walls of the area, aspreviously described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 .

At block 444, method 440 includes determining, based on light reflectedfrom the illuminated object, an amount of space in the area blocked froma field of view of the smoke detector by the object. The amount of spaceblocked from the field of view of the smoke detector can correspond to,for instance, space 110 previously described in connection with FIG. 1 ,and can be determined, for instance, based on the intensity of the lightreflected from the illuminated object, as previously described inconnection with FIG. 1 .

At block 446, method 440 includes providing an indication responsive tothe determined amount of space being above a threshold amount of space.The threshold amount of space can be, for instance, defined or set basedon the smoke detector operational requirements and/or fire codes of thelocal jurisdiction of the area, as previously described in connectionwith FIG. 1 . The indication can be provided, for instance, to anadditional device, as previously described in connection with FIG. 1 .

At block 448, method 440 includes adjusting a speed of the rotation ofthe laser emitter based on light reflected from the illuminateddifferent portions of the area. For instance, the speed of the rotationof the laser emitter can be adjusted based on the intensity of the lightreflected from the illuminated different portions of the area, aspreviously described in connection with FIG. 2 , and can be adjusted byadjusting the speed at which the rotation mechanism of the detectorrotates the laser emitter of the detector, as previously describedherein.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same techniques can be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments of thedisclosure.

It is to be understood that the above description has been made in anillustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combination of theabove embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically describedherein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing theabove description.

The scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure includes anyother applications in which the above structures and methods are used.Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the disclosure should bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullrange of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are groupedtogether in example embodiments illustrated in the figures for thepurpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is notto be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of thedisclosure require more features than are expressly recited in eachclaim.

Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter liesin less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, thefollowing claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

What is claimed:
 1. A smoke detector, comprising: a laser emitterconfigured to emit a laser beam that illuminates an object in an area; alight receiver configured to receive light reflected from theilluminated object; and a controller configured to: determine, based onan intensity of the light reflected from the illuminated object, anamount of space in the area that is blocked from a field of view of thesmoke detector by the object; and provide an indication responsive tothe determined amount of space being above a threshold amount of space.2. The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein: the smoke detector includes amechanism configured to rotate the laser emitter such that the laserbeam illuminates different portions of the area; the light receiver isconfigured to receive light reflected from the illuminated differentportions of the area; and the controller is configured to adjust a speedat which the mechanism rotates the laser emitter based on the lightreflected from the illuminated different portions of the area.
 3. Thesmoke detector of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:determine a location of the object in the area based on the lightreflected from the illuminated object; and determine the amount of spacein the area that is blocked from the field of view of the smoke detectorby the object based on the determined location of the object in thearea.
 4. The smoke detector of claim 3, wherein the controller isconfigured to determine the location of the object in the area based on:an alignment of the laser emitter when emitting the laser beam thatilluminates the object; and an amount of time for the light receiver toreceive the light reflected from the illuminated object.
 5. The smokedetector of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide adifferent indication responsive to the determined amount of space notbeing above the threshold amount of space.
 6. The smoke detector ofclaim 1, wherein: the laser emitter is configured to emit a laser beamthat illuminates an additional object in the area; the light receiver isconfigured to receive light reflected from the illuminated additionalobject; and the controller is configured to: determine, based on thelight reflected from the illuminated additional object, an amount ofspace in the area that is blocked from the field of view of the smokedetector by the additional object; and provide an indication responsiveto the determined amount of space in the area that is blocked from thefield of view of the smoke detector by the additional object being abovethe threshold amount of space.
 7. The smoke detector of claim 1, whereinthe controller is configured to provide the indication to an additionaldevice.
 8. The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein the light receiver isa Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) receiver.
 9. A smoke detector,comprising: a laser emitter configured to emit a laser beam in an area;a mechanism configured to rotate the laser emitter such that the laserbeam illuminates different portions of the area; a light receiverconfigured to receive light reflected from the illuminated differentportions of the area; and a controller configured to adjust a speed atwhich the mechanism rotates the laser emitter based on the lightreflected from the illuminated different portions of the area.
 10. Thesmoke detector of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured toadjust the speed at which the mechanism rotates the laser emitter basedon an intensity of the light reflected from the illuminated differentportions of the area.
 11. The smoke detector of claim 9, wherein thecontroller is configured to: determine a distance of each of thedifferent portions of the area from the smoke detector based on thelight reflected from the illuminated different portions of the area; andadjust the speed at which the mechanism rotates the laser emitter basedon the determined distance of each of the different portions of the areafrom the smoke detector.
 12. The smoke detector of claim 11, wherein thecontroller is configured to adjust the speed at which the mechanismrotates the laser emitter such that an amount of time for which thelaser beam illuminates each respective different portion of the area isdirectly proportional to the determined distance of that respectiveportion of the area from the smoke detector.
 13. The smoke detector ofclaim 9, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an amount oftime for which the laser beam illuminates each respective differentportion of the area by adjusting the speed at which the mechanismrotates the laser emitter.
 14. The smoke detector of claim 9, whereinthe controller is configured to adjust the speed at which the mechanismrotates the laser emitter to a speed sufficient to detect smoke in eachof the different portions of the area while the laser beam illuminateseach of the different portions of the area within a particular amount oftime.
 15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computerreadable instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processorto: rotate a laser emitter of a smoke detector such that a laser beamemitted by the laser emitter illuminates an object in an area anddifferent portions of the area; determine, based on light reflected fromthe illuminated object, an amount of space in the area that is blockedfrom a field of view of the smoke detector by the object; provide anindication responsive to the determined amount of space being above athreshold amount of space; and adjust a speed of the rotation of thelaser emitter based on light reflected from the illuminated differentportions of the area.
 16. The computer readable medium of claim 15,wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: determine ashape of the area based on the light reflected from the illuminateddifferent portions of the area; and determine the amount of space in thearea that is blocked from the field of view of the smoke detector by theobject based on the determined shape of the area.
 17. The computerreadable medium of claim 15, wherein the laser beam emitted by the laseremitter is a pulsed laser beam.
 18. The computer readable medium ofclaim 15, wherein the different portions of the area comprise differentwalls of the area.
 19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, whereinthe laser emitter is a laser diode.